The Land Potential
There is far more biological complexity in a handful of soil from a Canadian Forest than there is on the entire surface of Jupiter.
Yet we invest and spend more money on exploring our solar system than we do on researching how basic life support systems on earth work.
The Fertile Soil
The Earth has 13 billion hectares of ice-free land surface. Only 11% of this is arable (able to produce crops) 24% is potentially arable if technology is developed
to suit these conditions.
Arable11%
Suffers from Drought
28%
Mineral Stressed Soil
23%
Thin Soils22%
Waterlogged Soils10%
Permafrost6%
World Land-use
Cropland11%
Pasture Land24%
Forest31%
Other (Urban)34%
Forest Cover
30% of the planet’s land surface is made up of forest.
These forests play a key role in recycling our planet’s carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
Forest Classification
There are four main types of forest ecosystems on the planet.
1. Boreal – Stretches across the North of the planet (Canada to Russia)
2. Coniferous Forests – Mountain Ranges3. Temperate – Mixed tree types (Deciduous and
Coniferous)4. Tropical – richest and densest of all the forests in
terms of diversity.
Economic Impact of Forests
Forests cover close to half of Canada’s land area, only Russia and Brazil have larger forest areas than Canada.
1 in every 16 Canadian jobs depends on forestry.
The forestry industry is developed for producing lumber and pulp and paper.
The industry is worth $56 billion/year in Canada.
Types of Logging
There are three ways that forests are logged:
1. Selective Cutting2. Strip Cutting3. Clear Cutting
Selective Cutting
Harvests only mature trees.Less disruptive to the forest environmentOn a large scale, it’s a much more costly
process because of the extra time taken to get the trees
Generally focusing on trees for firewood or trees to be harvested for timber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gBriAQjkCY
Strip/Shelterwood Cutting
Clear cutting only part of an old growth forest in strips or a narrow corridor
Small groups of trees are left to regenerate the logged area.
Clear Cutting
Used by the vast majority of logging operations.
It is the fastest and cheapest method.Loggers remove every tree.This wastes smaller trees, exposes soil to
erosion and eliminates habitats for many forest species
The area has to be replanted through the silviculture industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gXu7CCDfIo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQmtEdOphy8
Douglas Fir, Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island – 1893 -
Why cut trees?Current Southern Ontario Prices
For a tree that has a stem (log) 24” by 36 ft long, there is approximately 900 board ft of lumber If it’s a sugar maple (900 bd/ft x $.90/ bdft) = $ 800
Black Cherry $0.60 /board ftSugar Maple $0.90/board ftWalnut $1.20/board ftWhite Pine $0.30/ board ft.(Ontario Forestry Association, 2014)
Silviculture
Industry developed for reforestation and the management of woodlots
Reforestation: planting seedlings over an area of land where the forest has been harvested.
In Canada it occurs in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, and B.C.
What is treeplanting like?
The average planter: Plants 1600 trees/day Works from sunrise to sunset Lifts 1000kg/day Bends over 200 times/hour Pushes shovel into the ground 200 times/hour Walks 20 km/day with a heavy load
What is the pay like?
10 to 15 cents/tree plantedPay $20-30/day for camp costsIn the beginning you plant only about 500
trees per day.After you have learned the process you can
plant 2000-2500 trees/dayIF YOU DON’T PLANT TREES, YOU DON”T
MAKE MONEY
What happens to your body?
The ClawNumb footTrench FootFood for InsectsEncounters with wildlifeAverage injury rate of 22 out of 100
workers
Trees Reduce Carbon by:• storing carbon in their trunks,branches, leaves and roots. • removing CO2 throughphotosynthesis.• sheltering buildings thereby reducing energy demands. One Large Healthy Tree Can:
• lift 4000 litres of water from the ground and release it in the air• absorb as many as 7000 dust particles per litre of air.
• absorb 75% of the CO2 produced by an average car•Provide enough oxygen for up to 4 people
You do the Math!
One large tree can provide a day’s oxygen for up to 4 people. How many trees are needed to provide one day’s oxygen for your entire class? How about your entire school?
You do the math!
You need about 500 full-sized trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a typical car driven 20,000km/year. How many trees does your household need?
You do the math!
Each day a full-sized tree can absorb nearly 75% of the carbon produced from an average, well maintained car. How many trees are needed to absorb the daily carbon for the 75 cars in Preston’s parking lot?